


The NPC for Me

by 74days



Series: Zimbits Meet-Cute Au's [12]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: D&D AU, First Meeting, M/M, alternative universe, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-01-02 14:23:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21163094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/74days/pseuds/74days
Summary: Jack is a member of an Adventuring group who have just arrived in the City of Providence.Eric is a potion maker.This is the tale of how one Jack Zimmerman rolled a 1 in charisma and still managed to seduce the NPC.





	1. Chapter 1

Jack swallowed the red liquid down with a shudder. Almost instantly he felt his ribs snap into place, the blood sluggishly seeping through the gash in his side - through a gap in his chainmail - slowly stop. He could feel the thick liquid coat his teeth and he grimaced. These new potions had been half the gold of the regular ones he preferred - but the taste was vile. 

Someone sneezed behind him, echoing loudly in the cavern. The spores around them were starting to change from the toxic glow that had been pumped out over the team from the mushrooms surrounding them. As they fell they changed to a soft dull green, Jack found it oddly pretty. 

“All you motherfuckers still living?” Shitty mumbled, somewhere to the left. Three groans around the cavern answered him and Jack hauled himself to his feet. 

“We need to get the head and leave.” He said, voice echoing in the silent chamber. It seemed strange - so suddenly quiet after the chaos of a few moments ago. “We don’t know how stable this roof is now after that explosion.”

“My bad.” Ransom murmured, pushing onto his knees. He had a bruise already forming on the side of his head. “I kinda forgot how much damage that spell did.”

Jack nodded. “It was a good play. I was already down and Shitty was trying to get Holster back on his feet.” He looked up at the ceiling. “But I still think we need to get out of here. Lardo, see what you can find over in the nest - maybe we can get something useful. Holster, you doing okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll get the head.”

“Ransom, help him - see if you can harvest anything from the rest of the body that you can use, or we can sell when we get to Providence.”

“Sure thing, Captain.” Ransom said, getting to his feet and dusting off his clothing. Soft cloth that made Jack nervous every time something got too close. Worried that one day he wouldn’t be fast enough to get in the way to guard his team-mate. He wasn’t sure he could cope with that happening - not after last time. 

* * *

Eric sat in the back room and expertly mixed the ingredients together, watching the pot as it bubbled a dark grey. He could hear the people in the front of the shop bartering back and forth. He added a thin sliver of mountain ash, white grey and so delicate that he needed to use tweezers to hold it. Instantly, the thick bubbling liquid turned bright red - he watched it carefully, his hand hovering over the handle. 

As he watched, small black flecks started to form, and he counted under his breath. As soon as he reached ‘Three’ he lifted the handle, trying not to spill a drop, and lowered the boiling pot into the waiting ice water. 

He watched, carefully chanting under his breath, the mantra that his aunt Judy swore made her potions even better than the patented Bittle Recipe. If his mamma ever caught him she’d probably never talk to him till Candlenights. Even though she lived back down in Driftwood and there was little chance she’d ever find out that he wasn’t using her family recipe, Eric still kept the mantra under his breath. 

Slowly, a golden swirl started to form at the edges of the rapidly cooling liquid, and Eric nodded to himself. The hard part was over. Over the next few days he’d need to keep the temperature as cold as possible, but he hadn’t curdled the recipe - ruining weeks of preparation and expensive ingredients. 

He carefully washed his hands before moving on to the next item on the list - a group of adventurers had come through the town the week before and bought up all the potions of water-breathing that Eric stocked. There were a couple of brewers in Providence and Erics little shop wasn’t as well known or large as the rest, but he was slowly starting to make a name for himself. If he didn’t make sure to keep his stock levels even though, he would lose that momentum. 

He was carefully counting strands of sea-hag hair when the door that came from the front of the shop opened, and Nursey stepped through. 

“Dex was buying ingots from the miners from Harriswood and they said that a team passed through there and managed to kill the Umberhulk in the north caves.” He said, looking pleased. “They’re heading up this way. From what he heard, they pretty much harvested everything they could.”

Eric nodded, trying not to get his hopes up. The Branattos had a larger shop, nearer the City gates, and all new adventurers tended to stop there first to sell whatever they had on hand. However, he really needed an Umberhullk venom sac to complete another batch of antidotes, and his supply of teeth and scales were running dangerously low. 

“If they end up at Dex’s place, do you think you could get him to put a good word in? We could offer a discount if they are looking to trade.” 

Nursey nodded, trying and failing to look as laid back as possible. “If I see Dex again I’ll let him know.” He shrugged, despite the fact that most days Dex would find some excuse to make his way to Bittles Bottles. He always seemed to need some burn balm when Nursey was working. Eric knew objectively that Nursey was very attractive. He was the type of man that drew a lot of attention - charismatic and talented Bards tended to garner attention no matter what, but his long dark eyelashes and strong jawline seemed to make just about everyone swoon. He’d joked that his mother had been a siren, which always got a few laughs, but Eric secretly thought it might be true anyway. Some nights, he would perform at the larger taverns, regailing the visitors and local merchants with Epic poems that would last long into the night. He made more money doing that than Eric could have ever afforded to pay him, but for some reason, he liked working in the little hidden away shop. 

Eric wondered if he would have liked it a little less if it didn’t look across the street at “Point Defence” - one of the most renowned weapons makers in the city of Providence, owned and manned by one William ‘Dex’ Poindexter. Dex was a tall, thin redheaded half elf with long ears that turned out a little at the ends. His skin was always ruddy from the forge and most days he was sweaty and soot covered and - Eric was fully aware - was never walking around shirtless before Nursey started working at Bottles. 

They had started off on the wrong foot - Nursey jokingly asking if Dex was sure he wasn’t half dwarf (apparently 90 odd years of people making the same joke had made the blacksmith exceptionally touchy on that subject) and Dex asking why Nursey would even bother slumming it down in the backwaters. Both of them managing to land perfect hits where it hurt without even understanding why. Since then, they fluctuated between mortal enemies and best friends and neither one of them seemed to be aware of the lingering looks or ‘jokes’ that touched far too close to flirting. 

“Thank you, Darlin’.” Eric smiled. Knowing that Dex could be trusted to send people his way. 

* * *

Jack shifted uncomfortably on his horse and found himself missing the old days when they’d first managed to save enough gold between them to buy a cart. Sure, the horses were faster and easier to get around on, but when the ache in his side was still throbbing, he missed having the option of laying down and letting the cart rock him to sleep. 

"You need to talk to Shitty about the potions." Holster said, eyes forward - scanning the horizon automatically. They'd been on the road for years now and old habits die hard. It was unlikely that anyone would try to attack them now, not 5 of them on quality horses, well armoured and (probably) intimidating as hell. "I get they were cheaper, but I'm still hurting around the edges and they taste like shit." He nodded back at the rest of the party. "Rans did the math - we don't need to skimp on crap like this any more. That White Dragon horde set us up for life."

"He hates paying full price for anything." Jack pointed out. "You know he's got issues about throwing money at a problem."

"He's the only one who can heal himself mid fight," Holster pointed out. "I downed one of those fuckers before that Umberhulk threw a boulder at my head and I should have been able to shrug it off, not hit the deck like a sack of shit." 

Both Jack and Holster winced at the memory. Jack nodded. He'd been taken aback when Holster had dropped. Holster was a capable wizard who'd been fighting alongside Jack for years - they knew each other's moves and Jack didn't doubt for a moment that his friend would have known to take a potion before he got too injured. The fact that he had and it didn't work was troubling. 

"I'll talk to him." Jack agreed. "We've had to use most of them anyway - it's a false economy." He looked over the grasslands and saw the distant speck of farm houses, the lands that provided Providence with food and trade. "Maybe we can get some decent potions in the City. It's been a while since we've actually been anywhere this large. I'm looking forward to sleeping in a real bed for a while." 

"Bath-houses." Holster nodded. "I love you, and respect you as our leader, but you reek under all that metal, bro."

* * *

Jack had forgotten how loud Cities could be. People and horses and town criers, all pressed together. The guards at the gate let them past without questioning, a few interested looks at their loaded packs but no attempt to try and pull rank and search them, which he appreciated. He didn't think that his team were hiding anything they shouldn't, but stuff like that made Lardo a bit squirrely around the edges and Shitty never got used to being told what to do by guards. 

They'd dismounted before entering the City gates, leading their horses through the crowds. Jack remembered, all those years ago, when they'd first started their adventures, and the cheap horses they'd bought to pull the cart hadn't liked the press of people around and tried to bolt. It had been funny looking back on it, later at the tavern, but at the time, the resulting chaos had both Jack and Ransom so stressed they'd ended up leaving Lardo and Shitty to deal with it while they hid in the nearest store. 

They'd never been to Providence before, and Jack found himself liking it despite the amount of people. The streets were wide enough for carts and (unlike a few places they'd been) were clean and well maintained. From the map they'd purchased a few years ago, he knew that there was a river that connected the city to the rest of the country and had a lot to do with the lively trade the city was famed for. 

"Branattos is probably the best place to sell our shit and pick up some new potions," Lardo said, coming back from where she'd been chatting to a couple of locals. With her tiny halfling form, they towered over her, but only an idiot would miss how she held herself around their large bodies - Jack had first hand experience that the tiny monk was fully capable of kicking his ass from one side of a room to another. They often sent her out on scouting missions when they got to a new place, she was good with people. "But if I don't get something to eat and a warm bath soon I'm gonna scream. The Reigning Raven's on the other side of the river and it's got a bathhouse inside." She said, pointing in the general direction. "We can explore more once my backside isn't numb from three days riding."

"How expensive is it?" Shitty asked, frowning. "Places like that normally charge a fortune just for the privilege of-"

"We're going to the Reigning Raven." Lardo said, cutting him off. "And then we're gonna get rooms, and I don't care if it's 100 gold a night, I'm gonna have a bath." She glared up at them all. "Say, 'Yes, Lardo'."

"Yes Lardo." Jack chimed with the others. He'd be able to talk to Shitty when they got to the baths. The man was always a little happier when he was naked. 

* * *

The Inn was actually priced well enough that Shitty didn't try to haggle, although that might have had more to do with the way that Lardo was glaring at him. 

"Five rooms?" The owner asked, eyeing them up. 

"Three." Jack said. "And stables for the horses?"

"And use of the bathhouse." Lardo added. 

"Do you know where I can get my chainmail fixed?" Jack asked, aware of the way his shirt had a gaping hole in the side, held together with thin wire. 

"Point Defence is the best place this side of the River," The owner said as she handed out the three keys. Jack took one and nodded. 

"Shits, can you help me out of my gear? I'll get a bath before I head out. Holster's already complained about the smell in here." 

"My bro." Shitty said, holding out his hand. "I will gladly get you naked."

* * *

The chat with Shitty wasn't as awkward as Jack expected - apparently Lardo had already had a few stern words. "I know, bro." He'd sighed, after dunking his head under the water and soaking his hair. "I just... I fuckin hate how potions are only there for those who can afford them. Like, there are people out there in the world who'll never see 50 gold if they work every day for the rest of their lives, who really need this shit. People dyin' because they can't drop coin on something that would keep them alive." He ran a hand over his face, stroking his mustache out of habit. "But I get it. Holster shouldn't have dropped down so low. We can afford to buy the good shit and I'm not gonna let my team suffer because I got a problem with something we can't help." 

"We can try to haggle as much as possible," Jack conceded. "And if you want, we can maybe ask around and see if there is any pro-bono work we can do. I saw a couple of Churches - Sarenrae's place is always a good place to help people." 

"Thanks, Jackabee." Shitty said, leaning back in the hot water. "I'll have a look around tomorrow with Lards and see what's going on 'round these parts. Seems like the local guards aren't douchebags, either."

"I'm going to head out to this blacksmith once I'm done here." Jack said. "If I see any unjust behaviour I'll let you know so you can swoop in."

Shitty sent a wave of water from one bath to the next, liberally splashing the floor as well as Jack, laughing as he did so. 

* * *

By the time Jack found the blacksmith, most of the day was over. He’d taken a long, meandering look around as he made his way in the direction the innkeeper had pointed, and found a couple of nice little places that he knew the rest of the team would like. There was a park on the side of the river where kids were playing and old trees all around it that Shitty would love, and a bookstore that Rans would flip over, and probably Lardo too, if she wasn’t pretending that she was too cool to be a nerd. 

The sound of the blacksmith was hard to miss, and when he finally reached it, he was impressed by the size. Obviously the owner was talented, going on the small but finely crafted arrangement on display. There was a couple of nice daggers that made him think of Parse, but he shook his head and moved past them, into the main body of the smithy. 

There was a tall, thin half elf with a shock of bright red hair working at the forge, and although he was as slight as most of the elven folk Jack had met before, there was no mistaking the strength in his form as he worked, long elegant muscle under skin that seemed to glow from the fire he was standing over. 

He looked up when Jack entered, and nodded, before starting to set his tools aside. It gave Jack a couple of moments to look around and see what kind of thing the red-head worked with, and he wasn’t disappointed. This was much higher quality than could be found in the smaller towns they’d been through in the last few years. He might be able to upgrade some of his stuff, rather than spend the gold on repairs. 

“Hey.” The half elf said, walking over to where Jack was hovering near some of the chainmail. “Are you looking, or looking to buy?” 

Although his tone was hard, Jack got the feeling that he wasn’t trying to be rude. That was compounded by the little wince that anyone else would have missed after he spoke.

“Both.” Jack said, “I was going to ask if you could repair this, but I think I might just replace it, now I’ve seen what you can do.” As he spoke he held out the chain mail he’d been carrying. It was heavy, and bulky, but the half elf seemed not to notice as he shook out the heavy mail. 

“This has seen some action.” He said, before walking over to the large work table and laying it flat so he could assess the damage. “You overly devoted to this?” He said, picking at the wire Jack had used to fix it up after the last fight. 

“Not really.” he admitted. “We’ve been on the road for years and I just… kept patching it up.” 

“I can fix it.” The smith said, looking it over. “It’ll be cheaper than buying a new shirt.” He glanced over at Jack. “You look like the kind of guy who could pull of a half plate though - there a reason you’re sticking to mail?”

Jack paused. “I guess I just… started with mail and never really thought of anything else. I need to stay pretty mobile - plate’ll just slow me down in combat.”

The half elf gave him a long look. “Not really - you look like you’ve got the build for it - good legs. A half plate might give you more protection without the weight of a full set. Only downside is the noise. Hell of a lot harder to muffle plate to mail.” He shrugged. “I can fix this, or replace it. Whatever you want. If you want to try something else, I’ve got a few pieces that you can try.” 

He took a few moments to look around the finely crafted armour and made a decision. “I’ll try a half plate.” He said, “See how it fits.”

“Won’t be perfect.” The half elf warned, reaching for one of the display pieces. “I can adjust the strapping, but if you want something that’ll fit properly, that’ll be a commissioned piece. It won’t be cheap.” He held up a finely crafted chest plate to Jack's body and shook his head after a moment. “Wait here and don’t steal anything.” He said, before turning on his heel and walking through one of the doors at the back of the room. 

* * *

Eric carefully poured the last of the red and gold liquid into the final glass bottle and corked it, using a little bit of wax around the edge to ensure it wouldn’t pop off from any wayward knock, when he heard the door of his shop open. “We’re closed, Honey!” He called out, wiping his hands on the cloth tucked into his leather apron and scurrying to the door that lead into the shop proper. He remembered turning the little sign to ‘closed’ but hadn’t thought to actually lock the door - and although he was sure no one would actually try to steal anything, he wasn’t about to take chances. 

“It’s just me, Bitty!” Dex’s voice called out, just as Eric made his way into the front of the shop. Sure enough, there was the half elf, looking like he’d only just left his own forge, and Eric let out a little laugh. “Darlin’, it’s always a pleasure - how can I he-”

Eric hadn’t really ever given too much thought to the expression ‘breathtaking’ before, but here he was - breath stolen from his lungs. Behind Dex, looking right at Eric, was the most beautiful man Eric had ever seen in his life. He was taller than Dex - a feat in itself - and had the bluest eyes Eric had ever seen. His dark hair looked like he’d had it cut a little too long ago, and it was falling into his eyes a little, casting shadows on his face and making him look even more dramatic than his imposing frame made him appear. He was also staring right back at Eric.

“We need something for Jacks bruising.” Dex was saying, pointing at the planets most beautiful man. “I’m trying to fit him with a half plate and he’s got a couple of busted ribs and a bruise bigger than his head. You got anything?”

The silence sat in the air for a few moments too long before Eric remembered that he’d been asked a question and tried to mask his awkward staring with a cough. “Oh, um,” He said, giving his head a little shake. “I’ve got some healing potions in the back?”

“I’ve already used one.” The man - Jack - said, voice a little harsher than Eric was expecting. After he spoke, he frowned, brows knitting together and looking oddly angry. Eric wasn’t sure why - he was only trying to be polite! 


	2. Chapter 2

Jack cursed his stupid mouth. He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh - he just didn’t want the smaller man to think he wasn’t sensible enough to look after himself. He’d managed to talk to Dex just fine as they’d worked through getting Jack fitted with some of his better pieces, letting Jack move around in the plate, trying to get a feel of it. It wasn’t until he’d need to take of his jerkin to get him into a gambeson so he could try the full thing, that Dex had noticed the bruising. He’d insisted that Jack follow him, and he had.

He hadn’t been expecting the man who walked into the front of the shop - his hair like spun gold, a dash of freckles over his nose. He was shorter than Jack, but not a halfling like Lardo, just built small. His big brown eyes were framed with long blond lashes that brushed his cheek when he blinked, and Jack was stunned. He’d been stunned a few times in his life, but no Monk ever managed to do it without hitting him first. Jack had met some Aasimar in his travels, but not a single one managed to glow like the last rays of sun like the tiny man in front of him.

He looked at Dex, praying that the half elf could see how much Jack hadn’t meant to insert his whole foot into his mouth. Maybe there was something in his eyes other than pure panic, because Dex stepped forward. “Yeah, and you should see his bruise - maybe the bottle he used was contaminated?”

Jack watched as the blond man - Bitty - blinked a couple of times before frowning. “What type of potion was it?” He asked, before popping around the counter and pulling out a large wooden box, shut with an impressive looking, ornate lock. Without those big brown eyes looking directly into Jacks soul, he was able to find his voice. 

“Superior.” He said, voice a little cracked. “We got them from a traveling caravan on the Kings Road, just outside of Whitestone.” He watched as the man took out a key, plain and nothing like the lock, and opened the box. 

“Superiors shouldn’t leave a bruise on the skin.” Bitty said, frowning. “And certainly should have fixed up the ribs. Were you revived? That can cause a level of exhaustion that even a potion won’t budge.” 

Jack shook his head. “No, I just took a bad hit from an Umberhulk. Split my mail and got me right in the ribcage.” He winced a little at the memory. “We got them cheap - the potions.”

The little man looked up, through his lashes, at Jack, who tried to remember how to breathe. “Sometimes you can pick up a bargain on the road, but most of the time, it’s just snake oil. You really need a keen eye to make sure you’re not being swindled.”

Jack remembered the salesman. He’d been quick to haggle, and Shitty was too tied up trying to get a good deal - he didn’t even remember Lardo checking the bottles before they bought them. They wouldn’t be making that mistake again. “I think we were more concerned about the gold, to be honest.” Jack admitted. The salesman was still looking at him, and Jack was never so glad that he’d taken a long soak before heading out. He knew he didn’t smell like stale chainmail or sweat (or both) and his hair wasn’t a greasy mess. He hoped that Bitty - a nice name, a name that suited him - saw something he liked in Jack. Something worth looking it. 

“If gold is an issue,” The blond man said, looking back to the open box in front of him, pulling out a small metal container - a little like the expensive lip salve that Ransom used. “we do trades here - you mentioned an Umberhulk?” He opened the tin, and the mossy green gel inside had an almost overpowering scent of peaches. 

“Yeah,” Jack said, nodding. Trading always worked out well, he knew. This shop was a little off the beaten path, out of the main shopping district of the city, so it was much more likely that Bitty wasn’t getting the best goods at the best prices, the larger stores would be able to grab the best stuff first. It probably meant that he’d be willing to offer up a better trade deal for their items, which Shitty would like - and would provide Jack an excuse to come back. “We managed to get a few things from it before the rot set in.” 

The shopkeeper smiled at him and handed over the little tin. “Apply this before bed and first thing in the morning.” He said, fingers brushing Jacks as he pressed it into his palm. “It should take care of the bruising. If it does - maybe you can come back and we’ll see what kind of a deal we can work out for potions that actually work?”

* * *

Jacks fingers were still tingling as he walked back across the cobbled street, trailing behind the armourer who seemed pleased that Jack had met ‘Eric’. 

“Eric’s one of the best potion makers in the city, but he always ends up having to undercut his stuff to make ends meet.” Dex was saying, as Jack tightened his grip on the little tin that he’d been handed. “The Branattos are good too - obviously - but they get all the foot traffic.” He opened the door to the forge and ushered Jack inside. “Do you want to get this fitted today or come back tomorrow?”

Jack blinked. Dex was looking at him expectantly. “Will, uh… will Bitty be open tomorrow?”

“Probably.” Dex said, giving Jack a sideways look as he started pulling out tools. “He’s open most days.”

“I’ll… um… I can come back tomorrow? We need some more gear. Maybe place a few orders?”

Dex nodded. “I can pull some plate out of storage. See what fits best. Might take a while though, to put it together. Especially if it’s custom.” 

Jack nodded, fingers flexing around the tin. “I’ll come back tomorrow. Um… maybe pop in to trade with Bitty. While we’re here.”

“Yeah,” Dex agreed, looking a little smug, like he knew something Jack didn’t. “Might as well, while your here.” 

* * *

“Hey, Jackie boy!” Shitty called as Jack walked back into the tavern they were staying. The whole party were sitting around a table, covered in tankards and plates of food. “We ordered without you, take a pew and get comfortable.” 

“How’d the trip go?” Lardo asked, looking more relaxed than she had in awhile. She’d always fit better in towns and cities than the rest of them, thriving on the bustle of the streets and crush of people. It was always a bit much for Jack, who grew up on his parents' estate. 

“Good. I found a blacksmith who thinks I might be able to wear plate now.” He said, sitting. “And, uh, a potion shop. I said we might stop by tomorrow, get some new gear.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Holster agreed, pulling out a sheet of parchment. “Rans and I made a list of the things we need, and an estimated cost.” 

“I need paper and ink, so we need to hit up a few places to make sure I can get enough. We’ve been in the wild forever - I’ve got a lot of spells I need to transcribe. And both of us are running low on components.” Ransom said, taking a long drink from his tankard. “And we’ve got a whole load of magical items we can unload here - it’s the best place to do it unless we’re planning on getting another enchanted bag.”

“Dex might take some of the heavier gear.” Jack noted. “I had a look at some of his stuff - it’s pretty decent. He’s got throwing stars, Lards, I know you were thinking of getting something that got you a little more range on the field.” He recalled. He put the little tin on the table, fingers tracing the ridge edges of the lid. “And Eric said he was looking to trade.” 

The problem with working with people who were not only really good at their jobs but friends who knew you better than yourself sometimes, had its downsides, Jack realised, when both Lardo and Ransom’s eyes locked on the tin. 

“Who’s Eric?” Lardo said, eyes snapping up to Jacks, taking in every little twitch. She was easily the most observant of the five of them, but Jack had never been on the receiving end of her intense investigation. Ransom was watching as well, but was obviously letting Lardo take the lead - going on the way he leaned back in his chair. 

“He’s the potion-maker.” Jack tried, very aware of how he didn’t quite want to stop touching the little tin. It took more willpower than he expected to drop his hands to his lap. “The armorer recommended him.” He added, when it was clear that Lardo wasn’t going to contribute to the conversation. “He seemed nice, uh… little taller than you?” He hedged. He was never quite sure if commenting on someones race was… allowed. Shitty had some views on discrimination. 

“He give you this?” Lardo asked, nodding at the tin. “How much did it cost?”

“He didn’t charge me for it.”

“Maybe we’ll check out this armorer first thing.” Lardo said, leaning back, breaking eye contact with Jack. He felt like he’d passed some kind of test.“I like the idea of throwing stars, and I think he might be right about the plate for you. You’ve put on a tonne of muscle since we first started out - and because Shits can cast pass without a trace we can combat the noise.” 

“I can see if any of the arcanists here sell spell scrolls.” Hostler said, agreeing. “Muffle would help. Or we can get in enchanted into the actual plate itself if we’ve got the time.” 

“Expensive, though.” Shitty pointed out. 

“Required.” Lardo said, waving her hand. “We’ve been counting coppers and silvers for years - we’ve got the platinum to spare now. What are we keeping it for?”

“I’m not sure I like the idea of spending all that on gear for me though,” Jack said, “It seems… really wasteful.”

Both Holster and Ransom shrugged in unison, once again proving why they worked so well together. “We’ve spent something like 600 plat at this point.” Ransom said, “Ivory, incense… ink and parchment. It adds up fast.”

“And chalk - magic chalk, bro.”

“Super expensive.” Ransom agreed. “An for all Shits hates spending coin, his lil chats with the Wildmother cost a small fortune, and his spare diamonds.”

“S’my religion though.” Shitty said, looking a little defensive. “She’s saved your life more than once.”

Lardo waved her hand over the table, heading off any arguments. “We’re all very thankful for her guidance. What I’m saying is, Jacks been wearing this same chainmail since we started. He’s due a little update - and fuck it - after that dragon we’re in a position to do it right.” 

Shitty looked a little constipated for a second and then relaxed all at once, sliding back into his chair with a grin. “Looks like we’re gonna be here for a while then. Cities are great for jobs, and I get a really good vibe from Providence.”

Ransom and Holster gave him matching looks, faces a picture of disbelief. “You’ve never backed down from an argument so quick in your life.” Holster said, frowning.

“You don’t wanna rage against the man-built houses that distance people from the earth and her gifts?” Ransom prodded. They looked at each other and then both turned to Lardo. “Aren’t you worried?”

“It’s probably got something to do with the little walk he had after his bath.” She shrugged. “And the fact that he seems to be - by default - one of the highest ranking Malora clerics in the city.” 

“I’m like, the big cheese.” Shitty grinned. “Her gifts have been as bountiful as the autumn harvests. Also, they have a garden in the Temple grounds with like, the sweetest herbal set-up I’ve seen since we left the Blooming Grove.”

Jack grinned as Holster threw a chunk of bread at Shitty, who caught it in his mouth with a laugh. He didn’t notice how his fingers had made their way back to tracing the outline of the tin on the table, or the way that Lardo watched him from the corner of her eye for the rest of the night.

* * *

“You weren’t kidding when you said you’d be back with friends.” Dex said, as Jack was shoved out of the way by Holster and Ransom good naturedly as they shouldered their way into the blacksmiths shop. 

“Yo, brah!” Holster said, too loud for the shop, “High fives all-round for the half elf crew!”

“Represent!” Ransom followed up, as they held up hands for Dex, who looked torn somewhere between amused and confused as he completed a half-hearted slap with the Wizard and Warlock. Jack shook his head at their antics. 

“Sorry about them. It’s…” He shrugged. “This is Holster,” He said, pointing at the wizard, “And this is Ransom,” He indicated. “Uh, they both wear cloth so I’m not sure why they came.”

“Because we’re the ones with the bags and the party gold, dude.” Holster said, dragging a stool over to the front desk and pulling out a pair of wire rimmed spectacles, a book appearing in his hand with a flourish. “How do you feel about trading some gear?” He asked, flipping through the meticulously detailed ledger. Jack had looked at it once and was taken aback by the amount of work that both men put into making sure that everything they picked up on the road was entered correctly.

Dex, who was looking a little shell shocked at their entrance seemed to relax a little as he watched Holster flip through the book. “I’ll take any decent gear, but I’m not in the market to buy scrap iron. It’s too much work to turn it into ingots.” 

“Magical items?”

“Better trade those with Gilmore.”

“Cool. We’ve got a full set of dwarven mail…”

* * *

Jack left Holster and Ransom in the middle of a lively debate about the value of a pre-calamity war axe that they’d unearthed at a burial site that had been taken over by a necromancer. It looked like they were settling in for a decent argument, good natured on both sides. On the counter were two growing piles of gear, one that Dex was interested in and the other he’d rejected on sight. 

He was pretty sure that Lardo and Shitty had been with them when they’d reached the Blacksmith but he couldn’t remember them entering, and as he walked over the cobbled street he realised that he should have paid more attention - both of his friends were already inside Bittles Bottles. 

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this makes you smile a little bit today!

**Author's Note:**

> It's been far too long since I posted anything and I'm easing back into it. I don't know how long it'll take to update, but I'll do my best!  
Thank you for sticking with me.


End file.
